Pressing apparatus



July 16, 1946.- F. s. CARVER 4 PRESSIING APPARATUS FiledMarch 4, 194; 2 Sheets-Shet 1 ilgi:

INVENTOR FEED 8. CARVER BY I TOR Y July 16,1946. Ffs. ARVER 2,404,165

' -PRESSING APPARATUS Filed-March 4, 1945. v 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR FRED CARVEI? Patented Jul 16, 1946 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f I anama" I PRESSI'NG APPARATUS Fred SLLCarver,"shortliillslNpJa nApplica'tion March 4, 1943; ser a1 No. 47s,025

V zfolai s. (01. 154-1)" I: lThefpresentrinvention relates Ito' pressing r apparatus; andfiskmoreparticularly directed toward apparatusxlsuitable; foreexpeditiously producing.

tamper-proof identificationgcards. v U

Such cards-have heretofore l been subjected to aatreat'ment byiwhich each card is placed between twoasheetsl of. plastic. material :and: subjected to heat;.an'dapressure;v and .then .,,to ascooling" operationgsouthatl the threethicknesses. oft materialaare laminated cintoia:iunitaryfiarticle in whichithe card is laminated between and embedded inc-the plastic sheets; .1 c'

ai-Therm-akingiof. these; tamper proof blotters is built-up into a-stack and thisstack placedbetween the platens of anhydraulic press; The press isclosed theplatens electrically heated to the proper temperatures cfor thenecessary time,rand tl len cooled by running water --through themin order to: complete-themoldingon lam-'- inatin'g operation whereby-the card is sealed into the plasti'cz Owing to the length'ofi time required fori heating thepress and then cooling it, :the operating cycle; is slow and :theproductio'm from al'single opening presstlimited. ;Th,epresent inventionu contemplates 'thelipreparation' ofL-the tamper-proof identification? cards me. 'muchmore expeditious manner, and according to the present invention the press is provided with a pair-of platens to be heated and main tained hot so long asthe press is in operation and another pair of platens adapted tobe cooled and kept cool so long as the press is inoperation.

Then one stack can be subjected to heat and pressure;awhile 'anotheristack is being cooled under pressure, the hot stack being shifted between pressings from the heated platens to place it between the cooled platens and the cold one removed. In order to maintain the stackwhich has been heated and placed under suflicient pressure while the press is opened for transfer of this stack to the cold platens, clamps are preferably used on the hot stack so that the release of the pressure between the platens will not relieve the stack from pressure. The pressure maintenance can according to the present invention be readily accomplished by suitable forms of clamping device which can be secured to the stack while between present methodinvolved and a suitable formfof heaters so that the maximum temperature of the he-heated platens, and thenused as handles to transfer the heated stack Irom between the hot platens to insertit betweenthe cold platens'of the press. The A accompanying drawings illustrate the apparatusv forcarrying out the process. In these-drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective ;view of the press open andqcarrying two charges; I v c- ,1 Fig; 1a is a, perspective view-of a;charge out Ofithe p li z-i: .1152 a =5 93-? Figure 2 15 a fragmentary perspective view'or the charged press closedy j c-Figure' 3 is a perspectivewiewsimilar to Figure-Z-showing theapplication of clamping means to the hot-charge; 1 v A Figure 4is a perspectiveview illustrating the press-sin; open position andthe heatedcharge shifted in .betwene the cold-platens;

, 1 Figure 5 isa rear elevational view of th press opennandiillustratingythe wiring diagram for heating: and; cooling the. water connections; "Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view through a charge-,1 also illustrating a f orm of clamp; v I Fi ure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the; line ll of Figurerl showing the clamps in D w a Figurev 8- is a side, elevational view; with parts in section: of a modified form [of charging device;

and r, I 5: I Y

FigureQ-is a top planview of the same. In Figure-l the -base ,ofct'he press is; indicated at l0,.-the columns at .l l", l I, the head of-thepress at 12 and the ram at l3.- l, The ram is underthe control-of a hydraulica'l'ack indicated at l .4 with operating handle and extension lever l5 and pressure gauge lfirf l- I The headlZ supports an upper platen 20.; The columns all, ;H are provided with stops 2l,-2l shown more in detail in FigureThese stops are placed a sufiicient distance below; the-head of the press so that they may support a plate 22 and a platen 23, the latter being spaced a suflicient distance below the fixed platen 20 to accept a charge when the press is open. The plate 22 also supports a platen 24, while' the ram I3 supports a platen 25. The platens 23 and 24 move up and down ,along the columns as a unit.

The upper two platens 20 and 23 are provided with electric heaters, diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5 at H, and one of them carries a thermal cut-out T arranged in series with all the platens 20 and 23 is controlled by switch S. The

" heated and cooled.

- Inthemodified form of construction illustrated stack is placed between two'heavy metal plates 3|, 3| and when cold the plates and interposed stack can be easily handled together. When the press is open, as in Figure 1, an upper charge C comprising the sandwiches and plates is placed betweenthe upper two heated platens. Asimilar stack can'be placed as a dummy vbetweenthe two lower platens for the first pressing or it may closed bringing the parts to the position indicated in Figur 2 and, while the press is closed and the upper 'charge'C being subjected to heat amlpres- 1 sureythe operator takes-two clamps, such'as infloated at i; and places them on the' upper charge C. r

I Theclamps MS may take various forms and a be omitted as desired. Such a stack is, however, l 7 indicated in the drawings at C. The press is then suitable convenient style of'clamp is illustrated in the drawings: It-isa simple, springclamp, and in order to insure the best alignment and centering of the clampsand the pressure. plates 3|, 3|, the pressure platesmay beprovided with 7 holes 4|, while one 'nose of each clamp isprovided with a pin 42 to fit one of these holes. The

clamps'are inserted in between the columns I l, I

H in diagonal positions somewhat as illustrated more clearly in Figure VfWhen the two clamps are placed on the upper'charge they will project from the press as illustrated in Figures '3 and 7.

When the clamps are in this position 'therelease of the pressure in the press does not wholly-relieve the'pres'sure between the pressure distributing plates" 3|; 3|,th'ereforethe 'hot' plastic can be held under pressure and prevented from expanding, bubbling, and the'like, which would irnpair' the product. -'-The clampsare available 'as handles to removefthe hot charge C, and the charge can" then be inserted between the cold platens as indicated in Figure 4." A new charge will then be placed between the upper platens, the Dressagain closedand held closed while the-operator can remove the clamps from the lower charge,

attach themto the upper charge, attend tothepreparation of "anew, charge to be inserted in the press and. separate the-completed'work;

.'*It' will be'noted that according to the improved operational procedure the upper two platens are kept not, while the lower 'two'platens are kept cold. No time "is-lost'with heating' and cooling of the platens and the output of the press'can'be about four times the-output or a-similar press having only onepair of platens which are alternately in Figures 8 and 9 the stack 30 is between two pressure distributing plates 50, 50. One of these plates is provided with screws 5| with a steep pitch thread, forming studs which pass through holes 52 in the other plate, and thumb nuts 53 are tightened up when the charge is under pressure so thatthe charge can then be removed and replaced between the cold platens for quick chilling. v

Since it is obvious that 'the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these "forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwiselimit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: V

l. A vertically acting press for carrying hotpressing operation and a. cold pressing opera- .tion at the same time and having a movable ram,

columns-a head :fixedly carried by the columns, an upper pair of platens, a lower pairof platens, one ofone pair being fixedly secured to the head 7 of the press, one of the other pair being carried by the ram, the other'plat'ens being insulated from one another and secured'together to move as a unit, heating means carried by the platens of one pair to maintain them continuously heated'toa predetermined temperature, cooling liquid circulating means for continuously chilling the other pair; of platens, means 'for guiding said unit for movement up and down, and means limiting the lowering of the unit to such an amount as to space the upper -pair; of platens apart to permit the insertion and removal of a chargeand support the upper platen ofthe second pair above the lowermost position of the lower platen aidistance to permit the insertionand removal, of a.

from one another and secured together to move as a umt,.heating means camed by the. platens.

of onegpairto maintain ,them-continuously'heated to a predetermined temperature, 'coolingliquid circulating means for "continuouslyv'chilling the other pair of platens, meanszforguiding'said. unit for movement up and down, and means limiting the movement of the unit tosuch an amount as to space thepairs-of platensapart to'perm-it'the' insertion and removali'of a charge between'each pair, the press being closable to simultaneously apply pressure to both charges.

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